


Operation Tia

by Bionerd2Point0



Series: Finding Home [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alpha Jason Todd, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Jason gets stitches, Kidnapping, M/M, Medical Procedures, Minor Character Death, No Smut, Omega Tim Drake, Pack Dynamics, Parent Tim Drake, Scenting, So much angst, Spoilers for prequel in tags, Whump, all of the Batfamily is here, because I'm a sap, impromptu unwilling castration, it's that story, mentioned past rape/non-con of a minor, minor gore, yes - Freeform, you guys will want that character to die
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:01:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26128453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bionerd2Point0/pseuds/Bionerd2Point0
Summary: "Alfred, it's Jason." He clenches his free hand so hard it physically hurts. Tim is standing off to the side, still staring blankly in the direction the truck drove. "I need you to call a code black, all available personnel to head to the Manor immediately. I'm with Tim in eastern Ohio, and we need an evac to the cave ASAP. We'll tell everyone the details all at once and in person, but tell Bruce that it's the League of Assassins, and it's really fucking important."[Sequel to Operation Tim]
Relationships: Batfamily Members/Tim Drake, Tim Drake/Jason Todd
Series: Finding Home [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1889674
Comments: 84
Kudos: 499





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: This fic is kinda dark, pretty bloody, and hella angsty. If you don’t like little kids getting kidnapped and bad guys getting shot in retribution, you probably won’t like this fic. _But,_ if you liked Operation Tim, and really wanted to punch Bruce/Dick/Damian/Ra’s, this is the story for you! Heads up that I’m working on updating Op. Tim to reflect that Tia’s birthday is in January, not October, and he kept in loose contact with Cass after he left the family.
> 
> My darling feriswheel got caught up in some life stuff, so I’d like to give a huge shoutout to Bumpkin for betaing this!! (Feris then went through and hit my commas anyways, love you bae!!) Sliver_Snow_77 has also been a MASSIVE help in sorting out all of the canon details here, as I am fanon trash. ;)
> 
> Enjoy!!

Pulling into the driveway, Jason lets out a sigh of relief. Tia’s still conked out in the back, secure in her booster seat and thoroughly worn out from a day on the lake and at the science center, and he’s more than ready to join her in that endeavor. 

“Home, sweet home,” Tim murmurs from the passenger seat. 

“Gotta get munchkin in bed, then I’m ready to pass out.”

“Same here.” Tim lets out a chuckle. “Since when did we become old people? It’s, like, barely past eight.”

“I would  _ love _ to see mini me chase after Tia all day and  _ not _ need a nap before patrol,” he huffs, smiling. It’s a little weird, still, not going on patrol every night or opening up case files after dinner. He’d started easing off of the Red Hood stuff once he and Tim had gotten serious, and retired the mask entirely when he finally moved in. 

That was a year ago, and considering the six-month-old bonding mark over each of their scent glands and the newly-processed adoption papers for Tia, he’d say it’s going really fucking good.

“Well big me  _ did _ chase Tia around all day, and a nap sounds wonderful,” Tim says, laughing softly. “I get the kiddo, you get the stuff?”

“I got the stuff,” Jason agrees, pulling the keys out of the ignition. He can move the car into the garage once Tia is safely inside and not at risk of waking up. Easing the door open, he slips out of the car and heads for the trunk while Tim unbuckles Tia. 

She’s dead to the world, and he can’t help but watch fondly as Tim tips her out of the booster seat so that she’s slumped against his chest, then scoops her up in one smooth motion. She barely even stirs when Tim shuts the door with his hip, let alone when he hitches her up higher in his grasp and starts making his way towards the front door.

The sight of his Omega and pup in such a domestic position warms his heart in ways that Jason still struggles to put words to, and he’s practically purring to himself as he pulls the duffle bag out of the trunk. Who knew little kids needed so much stuff?

“Jason?”

He turns at the sound of their neighbor’s voice, smiling in greeting at the older Beta woman. “Hey, Nancy. How are you doing?”

“Okay.” Her expression is surprisingly serious, which is very out of character for her.

It sets Jason’s hackles up, and he finds himself unconsciously scanning the rooftops of the houses across the street.

“Listen, I know Tim had some trouble with his former pack, and it’s none of my business and I respect that, but there was a lady here earlier knocking on your door and asking about him.”

Everything in Jason’s mind instantly switches to red alert, and he turns his attention to her, expression hardening. “Can you describe what she looked like? Actually, where was she? Our security cameras might have picked her up.”

“Here in the driveway.” Nancy gestures to the space next to his car and Jason pulls out his phone to review the footage while she continues. “She claimed she was a relative. I didn’t believe her, though. She wouldn’t say Tim’s name, just that her ‘nephew’ lived here. I told her that she was wrong, that the Petersons lived here and she must have the wrong house, threatened to call the cops because she was acting strange and she left soon after that.”

She’s saying something else, but Jason is no longer paying attention, brain running at full speed as he watches a recording of Nancy confronting a woman who is unmistakably Lady Shiva. His chest feels tight, and he’s distantly aware that his scent is flaring something dangerous because Nancy’s trailed off to stare at him with wide eyes, and all he can do is watch this five-foot-nothing retiree threaten one of the deadliest assassins in the world. He almost wants to laugh, in a hysterical way. There is nothing about this that is funny in the slightest, and he checks back into reality as a game plan snaps together in his mind.

“Thank you, Nancy.” He sounds calmer than he feels. “Tim, Tia, and I are going to head out of town tonight, family emergency. Could you let Kaleigh know we won’t need her for a little while?”

“Yes, but… is everything okay? Who was that woman?” Nancy smells a bit anxious, which is probably not helped by the thick layer of  _ danger _ that is flooding his scent, but Jason really,  _ really, _ can’t help it.

“Tim and I are fine,” it’s a non answer, if ever there was one, “If you see that woman again, you need to call the police immediately, okay?” Not that the police could really do anything. He just hopes that it would encourage Shive to hurry up and leave instead of lingering around for any reason.

“What? Why?!” 

“She’s very dangerous, and I can’t say much else right now because I  _ really _ need to go talk to Tim, but I need you to trust me, okay?”

She nods quickly, lips pressed into a thin line. “Of course. I’ll make sure the neighborhood watch keeps an extra eye out on your house as well. Can you send me a clip so I can give them her picture?”

Jason pulls her into a hug, gratitude exploding within him. “I’ll text it to you in a bit. Thank you, Nancy.”

“We’re neighbors, we’re supposed to look out for each other. Heavens knows I’ve looked out for Tim all these years,” she says, squeezing him back tightly. 

“And we appreciate it.” He pulls back. “I really need to go now, though. You and Sumi stay safe, okay?”

She snorts. “Don’t worry about us old ladies. We’ll be fine. You two keep each other safe, though, you hear? You’ve got a lot to live for.”

Do they ever.

“We will. Thanks again, Nancy!” he calls back, backing towards the front door.

Once inside, he drops all pretenses that he’s not flat out panicking. Thundering up the stairs, he nearly collides with Tim as he turns the corner towards Tia’s room.

“Jesus, Jason. Quiet down, you’ll wake her up.” Tim’s scolding tone lasts until he sees Jason’s face, then he straightens up and looks around in concern. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Just talked to Nancy, and Lady fucking Shiva was here while we were out.” He holds his phone out so Tim can see the screencap of the security video.

The blood drains from Tim’s face and he sways slightly in place, having to brace himself against the wall to stay upright. “Fuck.”

Jason lets out a comforting croon, reaching out with one hand to run his fingers through Tim’s hair.

“We have to leave.” Tim sounds hollow, eyes flicking back and forth as he goes through their options. “Shiva doesn’t like Ra’s, and last time we met it wasn’t on great terms, but we have a mutual understanding. The fact that she’s here at all isn’t good. Ra’s keeps close tabs on her, and she wouldn’t be tracking me down if she had good news. Either way, we’re compromised.”

“Okay.” Jason nods decisively. “You have contingencies for this?”

“Yes. I’ll send a leave of absence notice to work, get everything packed up or secured. There’s a safehouse in Kentucky that’s waiting for us.”

“Good. I’ll start packing the necessities.” He hesitates, glancing over to Tia’s door. “Should we wake her up?”

Tim squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head. “She’d know something was wrong, our scents are so…” He waves his hand to encompass the stench of fear and stress and anger filling the hall. “It’s better if she just wakes up in a new state for a surprise trip.”

Jason bites his tongue to keep from pointing out the ways that the plan could go wrong. There are too many ‘what if’s for any plan to be without flaws, and he trusts Tim’s judgement. “Okay. Go work your magic, babe, I’ll get us ready to go.”

Grabbing the back of Jason’s neck, he pulls the Alpha down into a desperate kiss before pulling back enough to press their foreheads together. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Jason whispers back, pressing his lips to Tim’s brow. “Now c’mon. We’ve got work to do.”

It takes two hours to get everything ready, which is two hours too long, but Tim couldn’t risk leaving his computer system accessible while they’re gone and it had to be dismantled carefully if he wanted a chance to get it operational again later. 

Hard drives and emergency rations are stashed in the back seat, he has a gun on his hip for the first time in months, and go-bags for all three of them packed into the trunk with several blankets saturated in the smell of home that will hopefully be enough to keep Tia calm once she wakes up.

She’s still sleeping, thankfully, slumped over in her booster seat with a blanket and Prince Daddy.

“We ready?” Tim asks from his spot by the front door, hands twitching and clearly reluctant to leave.

“Yeah.” Jason closes the door to the backseat and holds out a hand, waiting for Tim to lock up and approach him. “This isn’t goodbye forever, though.” He pulls Tim into a hug, feeling the shuddering breath that Tim sucks in as he buries his face in the crook of Jason’s neck. “We’ll be back once it’s safe. Just gotta figure out what’s going on.”

“Right.” Tim presses his face in against Jason’s scent gland one last time, then pulls back. “Okay, let’s go.”

They opt to skip the interstate with its heavier traffic and many state troopers, and take one of the rural state routes that has a similar eta and fewer speed traps.

“We should call Roy,” Tim says, after over two hours of silence. “It’s only nine PM in Cali, and we’re going to need backup sooner than later.”

“He and Kori have some safehouses they would let us use, too,” Jason agrees. 

Tim hums and taps out of the GPS app on Jason’s phone, which is mounted to the windshield. They have over two hundred miles before Jason has to do anything other than drive straight, so it’s not like they need the map anyways.

Roy picks up after the second ring. “Jason?”

“Hey, man. You’re on speaker. Tim, Tia, and I are on the road.”

“Oh? Is everything okay? It’s late over by you.”

Jason sends Tim a quick look, and his mate takes the lead. “You know the assassin, Lady Shiva? She showed up at our house this afternoon while we were out. Our neighbor talked with her for a bit before he left.”

“Shit,” Roy says quietly, understanding the seriousness of the situation.

“We’re on the road now, heading somewhere safe to regroup,” Tim says, drumming his fingers on his thighs. “Wanted to touch base with you and Kori, and maybe plan on meeting up sometime in the near future.”

Roy doesn’t say anything for a moment, then asks, “This line secure?”

“Yes, but not enough for me to trust it.” Tim frowns and looks out the window.

“Daddy?” The sleep-addled voice from the back seat has Jason glancing up into the mirror just in time to see Tia rub blearily at her eyes.

“Hey, baby girl. You okay?” Jason’s eyes flash between the road and her reflection, trying to see if she can detect any of the distress that he and Tim had done their best to neutralize.

She mumbles something incomprehensible and looks out the window with a frown. “Where are we?”

“We’re going on a trip,” Tim explains calmly. “We were just talking to Uncle Roy to see if we could meet with him and Aunt Kori and Lian.”

“Oh.” She hugs Prince Daddy tightly, and Jason lets himself focus back on the road, breathing easier now that he knows she isn’t going to get upset. Although tomorrow is guaranteed to hold a temper tantrum if she doesn’t fall back asleep soon.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Roy calls from the phone.

“Hi, Uncle Roy.” 

Jason can  _ hear _ her pout, and he feels a smile tugging at his lips for the first time in hours.

“It’s almost bedtime over here, but if you want I can see if Lian wants to talk for a little bit?”

“Okay.” She’s awake, barely. Jason is familiar enough with that tone to know she’ll be asleep again before long.

“Just give me one minute to go get her. I think she’s playing dollies with Kori.”

There’s a moment of peace as they listen to the distant sounds of Roy moving around, but it doesn’t last for long.

“Papa!” Tia screeches when headlights suddenly flare to Jason’s left, and he only has a second to jerk the steering wheel to the side before impact.

Jason’s seat belt catches hard against his collarbone, and the airbags hit him just as gravity wins and the car rolls off the road. Metal crunches around them and he’s thrown towards the ceiling before the car finishes its circuit and lands back on its wheels. 

Everything hurts, and his head is buzzing so loudly that he can’t hear anything else, something that’s confirmed when he calls Tim’s name and can’t hear himself speak. His vision swims in and out of focus, no doubt due to any one of the impacts his head made on the interior of the car, and he has to blink dizzily before Tim comes into any kind of focus. 

Tim’s bleeding, but Jason feels a sudden surge of relief that the other vehicle had hit his side of the car, not Tim or Tia’s. It hurts to turn his head so far, but he looks to the back seat just as his brain makes the connection that some of the buzzing is  _ screaming. _

“Daddy! Papa!  _ Daddy!! _ ” The back door is open and Tia is being pulled out of the car by a figure in black.

“No!” Jason jerks in his seat, forgetting, for a moment, that the seat belts lock up in a collision. Tim is screaming something next to him that might at one point have been a word as he flails against his own accidental restraints. 

Fumbling for his knife, Jason manages to cut through his seatbelt moments after Tim flings his door open, and ends up diving out of the car through the passenger door when his proves to be jammed shut. 

His feet thud on the asphalt as he runs after Tim, because the ninja—he’s so fucking tired of dealing with actual fucking ninja—is passing a screaming Tia to someone in the backseat of a slightly crushed pickup truck fifty feet away. 

It’s thirty feet away when the ninja slams the door shut behind them. Twenty feet away when the engine revs, and Jason’s gun is in his hand, safety off. Fifteen feet away when he pauses to take aim. Twenty feet away when his bullets make contact with the first tire. Thirty feet away when he realizes the tires are reinforced. Fifty feet away when he’s managed to shoot both tail lights out. One hundred feet away when he stops shooting, because the only other places he can aim would put Tia in the line of fire, and that is unacceptable.

The truck is  _ too fucking far away _ when they can’t see it anymore, and Tim stops running. The truck is gone, and Jason will bring the world to its knees to get it back.


	2. Chapter 2

Jason looks behind them to confirm his suspicions, but the car is definitely totaled. Even from a distance, he can see how the entire driver’s side has caved in from where the truck impacted, let alone the internal damage. 

His body feels tight when he turns back to Tim, every ounce of his restraint needed to keep from exploding in the moment. They don’t need that right now. 

“Who are we calling?” Because that’s the real question. Tim has connections. Well, he was involved in a lot of hero groups back in the day, and none of them would refuse him if he showed up asking for help, but the skillset of the Titans is vastly different from the skillset of the Bats.

“Bruce.” Tim turns around, and the ice cold fury in his eyes is reassuring. He’s still present, and Jason has no doubt that Tim will be by his side until this is over.

Jogging back to the car, it takes Jason a moment to place the sound he’s hearing as Roy yelling over the still-connected phone call. Curses and threats carry through the speakers, and help Jason find the phone from where it’s fallen and slid under the seat.

“Roy.”

“Oh thank god!” Roy gasps out. “Kori! Jay’s back.”

“They got her.”

“ _ Fuck. _ Where are you? Kori and I can be on our way ASAP. Kori’s on the phone with Dinah now, to see if she can come out and watch Lian.”

“We’re going to call in the Bats. There’s no way this wasn’t al Ghul-related, and my money’s on Ra’s, not Talia. We’ll need all the resources we can get.” His stomach rolls even thinking about it. Tim had put so much effort into distancing himself from the Bats, and now they are about to open the can of worms and throw it around like confetti. This is going to be a shit show.

“What do you need from us?” Roy’s voice is firm, and Jason feels tears prick the corners of his eyes in overwhelming gratitude. 

“Stand by, for now. I don’t want to risk Lian in all this, though we might need you guys as things progress.”

“Okay. We can do that. We’re here, alright? You say the word and I’ll work with fucking  _ Ollie _ if that’s what you need from me.”

Jason laughs, and it sounds too much like a sob. “I don’t think it’ll come to that, but thank you.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what pack’s for.” 

He has to squeeze his eyes closed and nod, throat too tight to speak for a moment. “I’ve got to call Alfred.”

“Right, right. You call me if you need anything, okay? Love you, Jay.”

“Love you too, Roy. Thanks for this.”

“Don’t have to thank pack, Jay. Just call me when you get her.”

He hangs up, and it takes three tries before his fingers cooperate enough to tap in the number for the Manor.

Jason holds the phone up to his ear, pressing it tightly to his face so that he won't drop it even though his hands are shaking. It's past midnight, but the line is picked up after three rings. No bat is in bed before three even on slow nights. 

"Wayne residence." There are no pleasantries, but it's also twelve AM.

"Alfred, it's Jason." He clenches his free hand so hard it physically hurts. Tim is standing off to the side, still staring blankly in the direction the truck drove. "I need you to call a code black, all available personnel to head to the Manor immediately. I'm with Tim in eastern Ohio, and we need an evac to the cave ASAP. We'll tell everyone the details all at once and in person, but tell Bruce it's the League of Assassins, and it's really fucking important."

"Of course, Master Jason. The Batwing is being dispatched to your location now, and I will have rooms ready for you upon your arrival. Are there any medical conditions I should be prepared to treat?"

Jason hesitates, because the assumption is that neither of them are seriously injured despite the blood seeping from Tim’s hairline, but Tim hasn't said a word since he muttered 'Bruce' earlier and Jason’s ears are still ringing. "No immediate concerns," is what he settles on. "There was a car accident, but we can be checked over after we debrief everyone."

"Very good. Is this a number I can reach you at reliably?"

"Unless something else happens, yes."

"I shall keep that in mind. I can keep this line open, if you wish. However, I need to coordinate with Miss Gordon to get everyone in by morning." 

Jason hears the unasked question loud and clear. "It's probably better if I hang up. Save my battery and all that."

"Agreed." Good bless Alfred and his unshakable demeanor. "The Batwing should be arriving in ninety minutes, and I shall call you to confirm upon arrival."

"Thank you." Jason takes a deep breath and purposefully relaxes his fist. "And Alfred? Get ready for a fucking shit show."

"Hmm. I will do my best. Travel safely, and pass my regards on to Master Timothy."

"Will do. Bye, Alfie." Jason taps his phone to end the call, then carefully approaches Tim.

The scent rolling off him is indescribable and overpowering, and Jason has to physically brace himself against it in order to close those last few feet between them.

"We'll get her back." It's not a comfort, it's a fact, and saying it helps Jason believe it a little bit more.

Tim looks up at him, eyes dark with fury. "I know. And I will destroy him in the process."

That, too, is a fact.

* * *

It's close to six am by the time everyone arrives at the cave. Jason and Tim had arrived roughly an hour earlier, and Tim had instantly commandeered the computer to synch his phone and prepare the data drop they are about to do. 

Quiet murmurs travel through the group of gathered heroes as they settle themselves at the assembled table, and Jason finds himself wondering when Batman had made so many  _ friends. _ Not that he was complaining. The more hands the better in this situation. 

Cass arrives last, having had to Zeta from Hong Kong to the Watchtower, then down to Gotham to get there in time. She makes it to the bottom of the stairs, then gets a good look at Tim's posture and freezes in place. Given that she's the only one who knows about their 'living circumstances,' it's no wonder that her eyes cut to Jason to confirm her question. 

He gives her a nod, and the blood drains from her face before she can collect herself. 

"Okay, can someone please tell me what's going on? Because Cass looks ready to cry and stab something, and Tim is starting to scare me." The blonde chick has to be Spoiler, or is it Batgirl? Whatever.  _ Stephanie. _

Tim taps a few more keys, then the main screen of the Batcomputer lights up with a collage of images. All of them are Tia from the last two years, centermost is a portrait of all three of them from earlier that year, beaming at the camera, the bite on Tim's neck visible and clearly fresh.

"This is Victoria Chani Lee-Peterson. She is five years old, and at 0034 this morning she was kidnapped by the League of Assassins."

No one in the room is breathing, let alone capable of speech, but Tim keeps going.

"At 2000 yesterday evening, we arrived home to discover that Lady Shiva had been looking into our residence." The images switch to the security video of Nancy confronting Shiva and Shiva leaving. 

"We immediately packed and reached out to Arsenal and Starfire as a potential safehouse, but were involved in a collision en route." A piece of audio starts playing at the touch of a button, and Jason winces at the ear splitting shriek of metal on metal, and has to physically close his eyes when he hears a door pried open and Tia start screaming. It fades fast, and is replaced by slamming doors and shouts, Roy yelling down the line in fear. Tim cuts off the audio before Jason gets back to the phone to tell him what happened. 

"There are enough airfields in the surrounding area, that we," Tim gestures towards Jason for the first time since he started talking, "felt it best to call in support instead of trying to follow the truck on foot. That's where all of you come in." 

Tim turns away from the computer to fully face his riveted audience. "Our goal is to locate and retrieve her in a fast and orderly fashion. She has a subdermal tracker that I am currently triangulating, but once we know where she's at we will need to know how to get in, and how to get her out. I have several plans already in place for situations like this, it's just a matter of adjusting based on the number of people willing to participate, and what their strengths are. Any questions?"

The room is absolutely still, everyone still in shock from… so much. That Tim has a child, that he and Jason are together, that the child has been kidnapped, it's a lot. 

Damian, unfortunately, is the first one to get his bearings. "Why would my grandfather care about your spawn?"

It's surprisingly sincere coming from him, but it's still exactly the wrong thing to ask. 

Tim's lips curl back from his teeth. "I don't know,  _ Damian, _ why would Ra's care about his spawn?" The word choice is deliberate, and everyone in the room is smart enough to catch on quickly.

"Tim—” Bruce starts, standing up.

"Save it, Bruce. I don't fucking care. Unless it has to do with this mission, I don't want to hear it."

"You had a kid and you didn't tell me?" Stephanie sounds hurt.

"No, Steph, I didn't. Because you were dead until after she was born, and by then it was too late."

“Oh god.” The timeline of when Tia must have been conceived must finally be setting in, because Dick sounds rightfully horrified.

Jason feels a viscous sort of satisfaction at the reaction. He’s wanted to rub their faces in the mess for years, make the Bats own up to their mistakes, and now it’s only half as satisfying. Undercut by worry and fear for his pup. 

“I feel like I’m missing something here.” He has no clue who the black kid is or the chick next to him—although he’s digging the hair—but Batwoman is sitting next to them and looks just as confused, which is wrong. She was around when most of this went down, she should have an idea of what’s going on.

Glancing down the table, he eyes Barbara, who looks sick to her stomach.

When neither Tim nor Bruce move to answer the unspoken question, Jason shifts to draw attention to himself. “Dickiebird is just starting to feel guilty cuz he realized that Tim had Tia when he was seventeen, shortly after he left the pack.” And so much more, but they weren’t ready to uncover that pile of horseshit yet.

Dick jolts upwards in indignation. “Tim is still pack! And so are you Jason!” He visibly swallows at the dark look that crosses Jason’s face at the claim. Looking over to Tim, he continues, “We weren’t there when you needed us before, but we’re here now. We’re your family, of course we’ll help.”

Tim looks tense enough to rival stone. “I think you misunderstand,” he says stiffly. “I am not here because I considered you pack at one time, and I definitely do not consider you pack now. I’m here because you are vigilantes who are familiar with the League of Assassins and have an ethical code that will encourage you to help me. If you view this as anything other than a mission proposition, you’re being foolish.”

“Tim,” Bruce growls out in a warning tone, “you chose to leave the pack. You cannot be angry at us for that. And you chose to come off of suppressants as well, so you need to drop this passive-aggressive attitude.”

Tim throws back his head and laughs, which is the only thing stopping Jason from literally exploding in anger. It’s not a happy laugh either, and makes the hairs on Jason’s arms stand on end.

“Wrong.” Everyone looks to Cass, whose expression is dark. “No choice.”

“Thank you, Cass.” Tim drops his head to look down at the floor. “Did you know that prophylactic antibiotics are required for three years following a splenectomy? And that you can’t take amoxicillin and suppressants at the same time without increased risk of stroke, not including any other drug interactions? I don’t suppose you did, given that you never stopped to wonder  _ why _ I wasn’t on suppressants, just that I should be. I found out I was pregnant, and the first thing that happened when I got home was you scolding me for ‘provoking’ Damian after he stabbed me at dinner. Given that he’d tried to literally kill me three times  _ before _ then, I didn’t have much choice about leaving the pack after that. Not if I wanted my child to be safe.”

Jason wants nothing more than to comfort him, but it’s not time for that yet because Tim sucks in a sharp breath, glaring at Bruce.

“That isn’t why we’re  _ here, _ dammit! Will you help me get her back, or do I need to call in the Titans? Because we are wasting time.”

“I’m in.” Barbara’s lips are pressed so tightly together they’re white, but the determination on her face is reassuring. “I think it’s safe to say that the rest of the Birds of Prey are in too.”

Huntress nods, saying, “I’ll call in Dinah and Selena. They’ll want to help.”

“I’m in too.” Batwoman folds her arms on the table, leaning forward to look at everyone. “And once this is over, I think we need to have a family meeting to discuss how important communicating shit is with the rest of us.” She glares at Batman. “Just because I don’t live with you, doesn’t mean you can keep me out of the loop. The only thing I ever heard about  _ any _ of this beyond Tim’s retirement letter was that he and Damian weren’t getting along. You may not have known about some of the details until now, but this stuff affects us all, and as someone who wears your brand, you can’t leave us with just gossip in the future. Him making actual attempts on Tim’s life is a big deal, given the code you push on us, and yes, I know Damian’s grown up a lot since then.”

She sends a look over to the Robin in question, and Damian’s lips are pressed so tightly together they’re white.

“We’ll discuss this later.” Bruce is extra scowl-y, no doubt due to the fact he’s lost control of the situation and has the emotional capacity of a frog. Jason has no sympathy for him. Bruce turns back to Tim, saying, “We’ll help.” He cuts his gaze over to Jason. “But no killing.”

Before Jason gets the chance to really laugh at that suggestion, Tim cuts in. “The only thing I can promise is that, if Ra’s dies, his people will probably revive him anyways and it won’t matter that he was ever dead.”

Bruce’s face twists into something ugly, clearly gearing up for a lecture.

“She’s my  _ daughter, _ Bruce. I’d burn down the  _ world _ for her.” And, well. There’s not much anyone can say to that. Tim turns back to the seated heroes. “Is there anyone who  _ doesn’t _ want to help for any reason?”

No one speaks, and Jason feels a bit of relief when he sees the challenging looks being passed around, everyone daring each other to back out. 

Damian is glaring at the table, but he doesn’t say anything and that’s what counts.

Tim nods. “Okay, I’ll include Black Canary and Catwoman in the lineup. I’m waiting to hear back from my contact, then I’ll send out the breakdown of roles and we can address the plan of action. Until then, we should all rest and prepare. We’re all useless if we’re exhausted.”

He says it like he’s trying to convince himself, and Jason can’t blame him. It’s doubtful that either of them will get any sleep, but even the act of laying down should be better than nothing.

“I have a stupid question.” It’s the girl with the purple and blue hair. “Why can’t we just, like, call up Superman and have him grab her once your tracker kicks in?”

Tim frowns and looks to the side, fingers twisting together. “We could, but I don’t trust that Ra’s won’t kill her as soon as radar picks him up.” Superman has many powers, but hiding from radar is not one of them.

“Why would he go to all the trouble to get her, just to kill her?”

“He doesn’t want  _ her. _ ” And here is the dark truth. What Jason’s been trying to ignore since Shiva first showed up. “Ra’s doesn’t even want either of his Alpha daughters, and Tia’s a  _ Beta. _ He’s not about to make her his heir. What he wants is  _ me, _ and he knows I’ll come after her. I just think he’s counting on me being too hesitant to reach out to anyone in the hero community, which is obviously not the case.”

“But…” Purple hair looks between him and Jason. “You’re mated. Your instincts won’t force you to submit to him, or whatever.” She waves a hand, brushing off the more intimate things like ‘your instincts won’t make you beg to be fucked by him when in heat.’

“I really, really don’t think that matters to him.” Tim’s face twists into a grimace.

Not willing to let this line of questioning go any further, Jason cuts in. “Is the tracking system up and running?”

Blinking at the change in topic, Tim glances down at the tablet in his hands and nods. “She’s somewhere over the South Atlantic, which is far enough away that it’s going to take a few hours to settle. It’s the downside on making the chip nearly undetectable.” 

“And all we can do from this point forward is wait?”

“Yes.”

“And you’ll be notified when there’s any developments?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’re going to bed,” he states firmly. 

“No,” Bruce interrupts, practically snarling. “This is Ra’s and we need more than a skeleton of a plan.”

“Actually, I really think we’re done.”  Jason turns to Barbara, doing his level best to appear civil. "Barbie, run interference if anyone decides we need to wake up before Tim's alerts go off. We can figure out who's doing what once we know where we're going, and we all need to sleep because this _ is _ Ra's and we need to be at our best."

She nods sharply, and he feels a moment of guilt that they couldn’t warn her about all this in advance, but it’s too late now and Jason needs a chance to break down with his mate before they go kick ass.

“I have taken the liberty to prepare the blue guest room for you,” Alfred says, calm as ever except for the barest tremble in his shoulders. The fire in his eyes goes a long way in helping Jason hold his cool for just a little bit longer.

“Thank you, Alfred. We really appreciate that.” Jason turns back to the assembled heroes. “We’ll let you know when there’s an update, but for now, get some rest,” then grabs Tim’s hand and tows him up the stairs.

* * *

They don’t sleep much. Instead spend the following hours curled up together, holding each other tightly with Tia’s clothes pressed in the space between their chests. Neither of them comment on the tears that dampen the pillows. Neither of them have to.

* * *

Tim sits down heavily at the far end of the breakfast table, and Jason carefully takes the seat next to him. Barbara is at the other end of the table with Selena, and Stephanie is sitting next to Dick, staring at Tim in tense silence.

He wishes more than anything that they could have stayed away. They’re the best chance he and Tim have at getting Tia back unharmed, but he can smell the underlying layer of  _ hurt _ that carries through Tim’s scent every time he has to look them in the eye.

Tim clears his throat before looking across the table to Barbara. “My contact confirmed that Ra’s is at his base in the Hindu Kush mountains, and Tia’s tracker is traveling in a pattern that matches that destination. She should be arriving in four hours.”

Barbara nods, pulling a tablet out from where it had been stashed in the side of her wheelchair. “Do you have the layout for that base?” She pulls something up from her network. “It looks like Bruce trained there for a time before he put on the cowl, but that was almost thirty years ago and we don’t have any information on how it’s changed.”

“I have the layouts for all of Ra’s’ bases.” Tim has a hard copy of all of the information Ra’s had in the Cradle. Six years old or not, that information is invaluable now. “I’ll send it to you, and the plan of attack I have for it. I’ll need your input on who would be the best fit for each role, since I don’t really know the newer recruits.” 

Tim had told him about the later months of his pregnancy. How he spent six months in an empty apartment planning for every contingency in case Ra’s ever came after her. Now, those early plans are being pulled up and revised for the current situation.

Barbara pauses, and Jason can  _ see _ her holding back the questions she no doubt wants to ask. “Right. If you send them to me, I can get on that. I will recommend that you and Jason take Duke with you when you infiltrate the base. Duke is a meta and can see things that have happened when they’ve passed through the same light source.”

It’s mind boggling, for a moment, that Bruce would allow a meta to operate in Gotham, then the rest of what she’s saying catches up to him and he snaps his head around to look at Tim in time to see Tim’s gaze sharpen. “You’re saying that if we can get in the same areas, he could lead us to Tia without us having to guess?”

“Yes.”

“Good. We’ll plan on that, then.” Tim’s eyes flicker over to where Dick is sitting, staring holes into the side of his head, and he shifts in discomfort before looking back to Barbara. “Do you want to head down to the Cave with me and we can get started?”

Jason glares at Dick when the asshole doesn’t take the hint and just keeps on staring. Yeah, it’s time they left.

Barbara sends a sideways glance at the two watchers before nodding decisively. “Okay. Let’s do that. Selena, could you make sure everyone will be ready for a mission briefing in, say, two hours?”

“Sure thing, boss lady. You two have fun with your plotting.” Selena sends a lingering look towards Tim, but doesn’t say anything else as she saunters off in the direction of the kitchen.

Standing up quickly, Jason helps Tim out of his seat and places a supportive hand on his lower back as they follow Barbara to the piano room.

It’s a bit surreal, watching the bookcase pop out to reveal the elevator. He used to love reading in this room, although he can count on one hand the number of times he’s used this access to the Batcave. The fire poles were way more fun.

Barbara wheels ahead of them when the lift settles on the stone floor of the Batcave, but Tim hesitates. 

Jason slides his hand up to the back of Tim’s neck, encouraging his mate to look at him.

“You can do this. I’ll be here with you every step of the way, but  _ you can do this, _ ” Jason says, squeezing the back of Tim’s neck for emphasis. 

Taking a deep breath, Tim nods. “I know. I love you.”

Jason’s mouth curls into a half-smile. “I love you too. Now you go plot our world domination. I’m gonna go get our gear ready.”

Neither of them had their costumes on hand anymore, and what gear they did have is still on the Batwing from last night. He’ll have to scrounge to put something together for them to use when they go to rescue Tia.

Tim tilts his head so that his cheek brushes against Jason’s hand as he pulls away, then makes his way to where Barbara is setting up the computer. 

Right. It’s time to get to work.

* * *

“We will be splitting you into four teams for this mission. Team Four will consist of the heavy hitters, Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Black Canary, and Huntress. You will be leading the frontal assault, which will work as a distraction. Barbara sent you the details of the layout of the main entrance to the complex, as well as an attack outline. You are free to edit that plan as needed, but your goal is to draw attention to yourselves and draw security away from the other teams.” 

They’re all arrayed around the Batcomputer, suited up as Tim goes through the mission briefing.

Tim opens the next window on the computer, which shows the internal layout of the complex. “Team Three will consist of Bluebird, Batgirl, and Batwoman. You three will be entering from the East side and your goal is structural damage. 

“Nanda Parbat has a known Lazarus Pit underneath it, and the East side of the complex is where the entrance is located.” He pulls up a sketch of the correct building, then the innocuous stone door within. “You need to hide your objective until the signal, at which point you will place explosives at key support points for detonation. I want Ra’s only mildly concerned about what you’re doing until it’s too late, so feel free to interpret that in whatever way you want.

“Blueprints and details on the structural elements you’ll need to look for should be available on your devices, but that goal is secondary. If all you’re able to do is further distract while we get Tia out, I’ll count it as successful.”

Pulling up the final blueprint, he turns around and faces the assembled heroes. 

Jason stands up straighter, just to the right, and looks over to Barbara mirroring his position on the other side of Tim. 

“Black Bat, Catwoman, you are Team Two. You will be backup and secondary searchers while we look for Tia in Ra’s’ palace. You’ll be entering from the North side and making your way towards the central chamber, which is most likely where Ra’s will have staged for us all to meet. Your goal is to stay entirely undetected, and intervene if we need the extra bodies.” 

He eyes them carefully. Cass and Selena are by far the ones he’s most comfortable having at his back, ready to step in and save his little girl. Seeing the seriousness in their faces lifts a weight in his chest. They’ll have their backs.

“Jason, Signal, and I will be Team One. We are the primary contacts within the facility, and will be getting Tia out. We will also be the ones interacting with Ra’s, which is why Black Bat and Catwoman are so important as backup. If it comes down to it, you get Tia and leave us behind. Understand? She’s the priority here. She’s a civilian with no training, but she knows that people who use the phrase ‘broken wing’ are friends.

“Once she’s out, that’s the signal to get out. Team Three will blow any charges they have set, and we all regroup in Kazakhstan before heading back to Gotham. Oracle is on comms, Alfred will be prepping medical equipment, and Dr. Thompkins is on standby if something requires her expertise. The details for each of your roles are on your devices, and you should review them with the rest of your team during the six hour flight.” 

God, this would be so much easier if they had planetwide teleportation. Not that Jason had much experience teleporting, but from what he understood the League can only teleport between Zeta tubes. Given that the closest Zeta is hours away from where they need to be with no easy transport once they get there, it makes more sense to fly straight from the Cave.

He’ll just spend the next 6 hours praying to whatever gods are listening to keep their baby safe.

“Now is the time for questions that affect the mission as a whole. Individual questions can be addressed once we’re airborne.”

“How do you have this information?” Damian’s swiping through his holocomputer, frowning at the pictures and detailed directions about the landscape they’re about to enter. Damian is possibly the only person present, other than Bruce, who has actually been to Nanda Parbat. Jason’s own time with the League had been largely spent not at League bases.

“I stole most of it when I destroyed the Cradle.” That earns Tim a startled look, as Damian obviously recognizes the location. “The rest is from my contact, who wishes to remain anonymous, but is currently in the area. They’ll send me an update on security set-up and the positions of guards once we get closer. Anything else?”

Everyone is tense, but when no one utters a word Tim takes that for all the confirmation he’s going to get.

“Right. Teams Three and Four are on the Batplane. Teams One and Two are on the Batwing. Let’s all pretend to like each other.” 


	3. Chapter 3

The flight feels like it takes  _ days. _

The six hours drag on, and the only thing that Jason is grateful for is the uncharacteristic professionalism he hears over the comm line. The Batplane might be total chaos, for all he knows, but he doesn’t have to hear it when he’s already a minor inconvenience away from losing his shit, and that’s what really counts.

Tim’s pressed as closely to Jason as he can get, halfway sitting in his lap just like he has been for the entire flight even as they chatted with Duke to get a good plan for how they’ll move through the compound.

He hates to disturb Tim at this point, but unfortunately the calm needs to end before they arrive at the storm. He nudges Tim gently to get his attention, then softly whispers, “Gotta start getting ready. We’re one hour away.”

The mood within the small aircraft is somber and serious, though he’s confident in Tim’s plan and he’s confident that all five of them know what they’re doing. The others… well. He has no doubt that Bruce would have prepared them as best he could.

The downside to being out of the vigilante business for six plus years, is that Tim no longer has a working uniform, and Jason’s is stashed at the Outlaw’s old base as it has been since he moved in with Tim.

He did the best he could to throw something together for the two of them, but hadn’t even bothered looking at the old Robin and Red Robin suits left in the Cave. The result of this is that he and Tim get to wear far less flamboyant outfits than their compatriots. Bullet proof armor underneath reinforced shirts and armored pants scavenged from old suits. 

Tim’s pants used to be part of Cass’ uniform, back when she went by Orphan, and his are from an early version of the Batman suit, which pisses him off a little more than it should. 

A soft huff of laughter draws his gaze up, and Tim gives the pants a pointed look, proving that he’s figured out what Jason’s pouting at.

Ignoring his mate, Jason finishes buckling on the extra armor pieces to his forearms, knees, and shins. A utility belt snaps around his waist with a few more explosives than Bruce knows about. Gun holsters get strapped to his thighs, and he feels a bit of vindictive pleasure that Bruce didn’t have any rubber bullets to replace his live rounds. Heaven and hell will be burning tonight, and Jason sure as fuck is not going to be pulling his punches.

Tim is dressed similarly, except he has his bandoliers across his chest and an extra set of knives strapped around his thigh instead of guns. Neither of them are going by codenames, and there are no masks tonight. Let there be no doubt that it is Tim and Jason here to wage war for their daughter.

“Batplane approaching drop zone A,” Oracle says in his ear. “Team Three, prepare to disembark.”

“Team Three standing by,” Batwoman replies.

They’ll be the first to land, infiltrating the complex from the East mountainside while Team Four loops around and makes a flashier approach from the South.

“Prepare for drop.”

Jason tenses in silence after Oracle’s command, mentally picturing the rear hatch of the Batplane opening.

“And three, two, one.”

There’s a long minute of silence while they all wait to see if the group has been spotted, then someone breathes loudly into the comm.

“Team Three in position, no visual on the enemy. Can’t hear any alarms if they spotted us.” Batwoman’s voice is incredibly reassuring, and Jason has to shake out his hands from where they had unconsciously fisted into his pants. They got this.

“Batplane approaching drop zone B, preparing for landing.” The Batman growl is out in full force, and Jason tunes out the rest of the confirmations of approach as he pulls the Batwing out of autopilot and watches Tim look over the control panel from the corner of his eye.

“Standing by for drop zone C,” Tim says into the comm, then turns around to the girls. “You two ready?”

Cass pulls her cowl down over her face, nodding confirmation as the Black Bat.

“We’re ready, Timothy. Let’s go save your kitten.” 

Jason’s suddenly struck by the vivid memory of Tia begging for a kitten that one of the neighbors down the road had been giving away, and his heart aches. He might just have to ask Selena to find them a cat once this is all over.

“Right. Has first contact been made?”

A loud grunt echoes over the line, which is shortly followed by a snort from Helena. “Yeah, contact’s been made.”

He hears a faint screech through the walls of the Batwing, and a sudden eruption of dust and light confirms that Black Canary is on site and fighting. With any luck, her presence will throw off Ra’s even more than Bruce’s.

“Preparing for drop off,” Tim reports.

The Batwing is so small that the back hatch opens up directly behind his seat with the two passenger seats on either side, and frigid mountain air rushes into the aircraft. 

“Team Two is a go.”

He heard Catwoman attach a line to the side of the hatch before jumping, and looks back just in time to see Black Bat just dives straight into the abyss, clearly confident that her cape will slow her descent enough. 

The hatch closes up once Catwoman’s line retracts, and the sudden silence is a bit jarring.

“I love Cass,” Duke suddenly blurts out, and Jason glances over, raising his brows at the non-sequitur. Duke hesitates, then explains further, “But man, sometimes she’s creepy as hell.”

Tim huffs a laugh in agreement. “She knows how to use her strengths, and making people uncomfortable is one of them.” 

It only takes a moment longer for the comms to crackle to life again. “We’re inside,” Catwoman says. “Lots of movement going South to the main entrance. No one’s spotted us yet.”

“Good, keep it that way. Team One heading to the final drop point now.” Tim nods to him, and he starts piloting them to the West side of the palace. 

“Setting up autopilot now.” Jason plugs in the command that will have the Batwing hovering on standby once they exit, waiting for Oracle to take remote control once she gets the signal that they’re ready for extraction.

“Team One is ready to drop,” Tim reports.

“You’re good to go, Team One. Stay safe.” 

“Will do, Oracle.” Tim stands up, moving to the slowly opening hatch as Jason joins him, Signal standing on the other side. “You ready?”

“Yep.” Signal grabs one of the lines dangling from the ceiling. “You guys good?”

Jason’s lips fall into a thin line and he glances at his mate, expression carved from stone. Good isn’t really a word that could describe either of them right now. “We’re ready.”

Tim wraps an arm around Jason’s shoulders, letting Jason attach a line and step out of the Batwing with both their weights, Signal close behind.

They land on one of the many balconies of the palace and quickly check for hostiles while the hatch closes and the Batwing gains altitude.

“Jason, you’re on point. Try to aim for non-lethal areas. Signal, we need you to keep an eye out for past moments that could show us where Tia is. I’ll watch the rear and direct us to the central chamber.” 

Ra’s called it a throne room on the layout Tim stole, but they all refuse to call it that. Ra’s is not any kind of fucking king.

They fall into formation easily, and it’s the one time Jason is thankful that they were all trained by Bruce. Having the same foundational skills makes it easy to work together. 

This side of the palace is eerily quiet, all of the ninja having moved to secure specific areas or act as reinforcements.

Jason checks around each corner with a small mirror, and they run into the first assassins three corridors deep into the palace. The lone ninja doesn’t stand a chance, and Jason chokes her into unconsciousness without making a single sound, letting Tim dose her with a sedative to prevent any untimely returns to consciousness. 

They stash her in a small alcove and get ready to move on when Signal calls for them to wait.

“Gimme a sec.” He’s looking between the hallway they’re in, and a small offshoot that the ninja had been standing in, head following movements that only he can see while the lenses of his helmet glow brightly. “Something happened. I can’t quite tell what, but there was a big commotion down there earlier.”

Jason shares a look with Tim, and he can see his mate mentally calculating how to alter the plan.

“Okay,” Tim says. “Let’s go down, see if you can learn anything else. If it turns out to be nothing, we come back and continue this way.”

“Kay.” Signal takes point, slowly making his way down the hall before Jason cuts back in front to make sure the connecting corridor is clear.

Almost as soon as they turn into the next hall, Signal stills. “They brought her in this way,” he breathes. “Down that way, then turned left.”

Jason shoots a wild look at Tim, who nods sharply. “That way it is.”

That way also happens to have more ninja, which they learn even before they get to the next intersection. Three assassins turn the corner, and all plans for a subtle infiltration go out the window when one of them shouts. 

“Go!” Tim shouts, launching a throwing knife at the one who’s already turning to run away. 

Jason shoots out the knees of the second, and Signal artfully bashes the third one’s head into a wall.

“We need to move fast, where next?” The countdown has officially started, and it’s a race against the clock to beat anyone who might have heard the exchange.

“Straight ahead, then second right!” Signal calls, all three of them chasing down the shadows of the past.

They turn right and Jason breathes a silent breath of relief that they hadn’t just run headlong into reinforcements, then curses himself for jinxing them when Signal whispers, “Incoming.” The vigilante chucks a flash grenade down towards the next intersection, and it lands just as seven ninja turn the corner. 

Their shouts of alarm buy Jason enough time to shoot out the knees and shoulders of two ninja while Tim closes the distance between them with his bo staff extended. 

Then the fight gets dirty.

Tim knocks out two of the ninja, which puts him in between Jason and the third ninja trying to jab Tim with some kind of taser. 

Jason’s heart leaps up his throat. Signal leaps between them with a hard kick to the solar plexus, sending the ninja colliding backwards into the last assassin.

Tim leaps back into the fight, kicking hard at the side of one ninja’s knee. Jason throws a knife into the shoulder of the other who had been pulling out some kind of tranq gun. Signal knocks out the ninja, handing Jason back his knife while Tim finishes with his.

“Down this hall, then turn left,” Signal says with a frown, eyeing the deep wound in the shoulder of the ninja Jason had stabbed. 

Jason knew what was bothering the new kid since the ninja will probably never be able to use that arm the same again, but Jason brushes it off because they don’t have time to worry about potentially permanent injuries right now.

Jason takes the lead and Tim quickly falls into place flanking him with Signal taking up a position in the rear. If his mental map was right, ‘down this hall and turn left’ would essentially dump them on Ra’s’ lap. They were getting close.

They turn the corner, and the hall is barren save for the two massive doors at the end. 

“Ra’s sure does like his dramatic entrances,” Tim mutters quietly, and Jason lets out a snort. Yeah, the old bastard was pretty damn dramatic. “Signal, you get Tia, and you get out. We’ll follow when we can.”

Signal visibly hesitates, but eventually he nods. “Alright. But only ‘cause I know Cass is on her way to save your asses.”

Huffing a laugh, Tim readies himself for the dramatic entrance. “We’ll probably need it.” Then he kicks open the double doors.

The bang of the doors hitting the walls echoes in the silence, and Jason looks over Tim’s shoulder to take in the tableau that Ra’s has set up for them. Damn if the man hadn’t missed his calling, he would make a killing as a director of B-rated horror flicks. Or porn. The wanna-be artsy type.

The Alpha in question is sitting artfully on his pedestal, a number of ninja standing at attention at the bottom of the steps. Talia stands to the right of Ra’s’ throne, face pinched and arms firmly crossed. On the other side of the throne—Jason feels his heart stutter—Ubu has his fist in Tia’s hair to keep her head up while she sobs dryly, tears clearly spent.

“Welcome, detective.” Not even Ra’s slimy voice can force Jason to tear his eyes away from Tia. He sees that Tim is having the same problem from the corner of his eye.

“Daddy! Papa!” Tia catches sight of them and reaches forward, straining against the hold in her hair as she starts crying again in earnest. Ubu jerks her back, and Tim steps forward snarling, a sound that is echoed in the building growl that Jason lets out, green starting to dance in the edge of his vision. 

“Let go of her, now.” Tim’s voice is colder and more vicious than Jason has ever heard it.

Ra’s sighs and leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees. It’s clear that it’s been a while since he’s bathed in the Pit, his hair is almost completely white and the scent of death and strong incense wafting from his little theatrical movement almost overpowering. 

It’s an advantage Jason will take.

“I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that, Timothy. You see, you hid my child from me for a significant period of time, and that cannot go without punishment.” Ra’s stands, and Tim tenses in preparation for the coming fight. “Moreover, you did it for nothing. She’s here now, and utterly worthless. I don’t even know why you bothered to hide her, a Beta. Even Omegas have their worth, but her only purpose will be to serve another.” Ra’s sneers in her direction. 

Jason lets out a hair-raising snarl and Ra’s eyes the other Alpha with a look of disdain. “Really now, can’t you pretend to be civilized?”

“We’re not here to play games, fucker,” Jason snaps back. “Quit stalling and give us our daughter back!” 

Ra’s sighs, rolling his eyes. “Fine. You don’t want to listen to reason, so be it.” His eyes lock with Jason’s as he directs his minions, “Bring me the detective, and kill the other two.”

The ninja at the bottom of the stairs lurch forward in unison, pulling out various weapons, and Jason lets go of the thread of control he’s been holding over his instincts. These people are keeping him from his pup.

He throws a small bomb at their feet, an action mirrored by Tim that manages to take out a decent number of the approaching masses. He doesn’t have much time to think after that, putting all of his focus into dodging and striking back, shooting when he’s sure there’s no risk of hitting his pack and ally. 

He tries to keep track of Tim in the chaos—his mate hasn’t seriously trained in six years, and in a fight like this, it shows—while trusting Signal to be able to hold his own. But he’s taking more hits than he should, and a particularly hard hit to the ribs leaves him unable to catch his breath.

There’s a turn in the tide of battle, some of the ninja start fighting the others—some literally stabbing others in the back. A figure in black who was the ringleader of the rebellion moves to start fighting back-to-back with Tim. “I’ve got you covered!” 

Jason recognizes the voice from hushed conversations over burner phones. Pru, the one who sent them the information about Ra’s’ movements within the compound, but he hadn’t expected her to actually help them. She’s able to help turn the tide against Tim, and they get down to a reasonable number of assailants while Jason takes out a fair amount of his own. 

Distantly, he hears Signal shout “No!” and he follows Signal’s gaze to Tia just in time to watch Ubu snatch a knife out of thin air. 

Jason doesn’t think before raising his gun to shoot at the fucker hurting his little girl and Ubu’s head erupts in a shower of red from one of Jason’s bullets. Tia shrieks as the massive man crumbles to the ground behind her. He pays for the win with a blow to the back of his head, sending the room spinning as he tries to keep his feet under him.

“Get her out of here!” he hears Tim scream at Signal, then Tim abandons his place in the fight to charge after Ra’s. 

Yeah, no. Jason’s not letting him fight that battle alone, and the dizziness is starting to fade. He starts dispatching the ninja around him, hitting vulnerable points and not caring about the casualties. He dodges out of the way of one knife-happy ninja, kicks out hard at the bastard trying to stab him and shoots another in the face because he does not have time for this shit! 

The entire time he’s fighting, he’s constantly looking over his shoulder to watch Tim’s fight with Ra’s. The fucker has his fancy-ass sword, and it looks like Tim’s bo is already dented from blocking a strike, which is not okay at all. A quick glance confirms that the only people fighting ninja are other ninja now, which is definitely something that will need to be addressed at some point, but that point is much later. Jason leaps up the steps to take his place beside Tim, already raising his gun to line up his shot. He fires just as Ra’s starts his next strike, shattering the blade. 

“You little bitch,” he hisses. “You think you’re better than me?” Ra’s slashes what’s left of his blade towards Jason, and he blocks but it’s awkward and the hilt cracks against his knuckles.

Dropping his gun, he leaps backwards with a cry and cradles his hand.

Tim moves to fill in the opening, and Ra’s produces a long knife from his robes and is able to step into the space Tim needs to use his staff to its full extent. The tip of the blade catches on the inside of his upper arm, and Jason hears Tim hiss in pain as he retreats. 

Ra’s by far outclasses them on a good day, and the only reason they’re holding their own at the moment is because he is having a very bad day. 

“You can’t even beat me when I’m at my weakest, and tomorrow I will only be stronger.” Ra’s launches a knife at Jason that hits him dead on the upper thigh, sending him staggering back. “We could have been partners, Timothy, but you chose that pathetic excuse of an Alpha for your mate. I may not have you today, but you will never be able to hide from me, and when I find you next you shall be naught but a bitch for me to breed!” 

Jason’s thigh is burning, and his leg almost buckles underneath him the first time he tries to put his weight on it. Tim deflects a stiletto thrown his way, desperately trying to get between Ra’s and Jason while Jason struggles to get his bearings.

“This little brat is disposable, but you will give me an heir, Timothy. Even if I have to—”

A wet ‘schitk’ interrupts him as a blade slices through Ra’s’ chest, and he looks almost startled as he stares down at it.

“Really, father. I believe you have plenty of heirs already available.” Talia is entirely nonplussed as she pulls her sword free.

“You really fucking do,” Jason growls, taking the opening for what it is. His mental review confirms that his femoral artery is safe, so he pulls the knife Ra’s threw at him out of his thigh and closes the distance between them in three long strides. “I think you’re done reproducing entirely.” 

The green has been clouding the edge of his vision since the fight started, and now he can feel it burning in his veins as he grips Ra’s’ crotch tightly and pulls, finishing the move by slicing cleanly through everything above his knuckles. 

Ra’s positively howls in pain, though the sound quickly changes to a gurgled whimper as his punctured lung makes itself known.

“Really, Jason?” Talia’s face scrunches up in disgust. “I know I taught you better than that.”

Jason just bares his teeth in a feral grin, blood dripping from the grisly package in his fist.

Talia sighs and swings her blade almost casually, severing Ra’s’ head from his shoulders in one smooth movement.

Maybe he should feel regret at not being able to do it himself, but all he can feel is a deep sense of relief. That Ra’s will never come after Tia again. That Ra’s will never touch him again.

Talia flicks the blood off her blade, and ninja left standing rush to pile everything burnable in the room under and around the body. 

“Have they all been taken care of?” Talia’s question is seemingly directed at no one. Then Lady Shiva steps out of the shadows.

“Yes. All of the generals are dead, and the rank and file are facing their ultimatum.”

“Good. I must say, Timothy, your attack was impeccably timed.”

“Thanks.” Tim sways in place, looking pale. “Although I think it was more  _ your _ timing that was impeccable—as I am certain that it was Lady Shiva’s visit that kickstarted this.”

One of the ninja still standing approaches Tim, head cleanly shaven. “We’ll cremate him. Grind his bones to dust and make sure nothing’s left to even clone,” she promises. Jason recognizes Pru’s voice and finds himself committing her appearance to memory, finally putting a face to her voice. 

Tim nods, leaning towards her slightly.

Pru looks over towards him, or, well—the hand that’s still holding Ra’s’… forcibly detached equipment. His fist clenches a bit unconsciously, and Jason has to convince himself to relax a bit before he makes an even bigger mess.

“You gonna keep that? Or can we add it to the bonfire?” Pru asks, tipping her head and smiling amusedly. 

Jason looks down at his bloodied fist and honestly thinks it over for a moment, but ultimately shakes his head. “Nah, this ain’t the kind of souvenir I like to keep.” 

He looks around, trying to come up with a suitable method of disposal, and catches sight of the oil vats used to light the room. Ra’s had every ability to electrify the palace, but he was a theatrical fucker who liked his fire, so big bowls of burning oil were placed strategically throughout the room. 

Well, they have a secondary use tonight. He makes his way over to the nearest one and tosses the bloody chunk of flesh and cloth into the flames. The oil immediately starts hissing and spitting in every direction, prompting Jason to hop backwards before hobbling his way back to Tim.

“We done?” 

Tim looks around, clearly overwhelmed and trying to get his brain back online.

“I don’t think you could be more done if you tried.” 

Jason looks up to find Catwoman and Black Bat standing in the doorway. Catwoman looking over the scene with raised eyebrows. They both look alright. A bit rumpled, and there’s blood on Catwoman’s chin, but neither are favoring any body parts, and that’s what really counts.

“Cool.” Jason lifts his chin and turns to Talia. “Talia, it was great to see you, I hope I never have to lay eyes on you ever again.” 

“Keep out of League business, and I can promise that you never will.” 

“Sounds like a plan.” Jason limps over to Tim, hissing in pain all the way, and sends a pointed glance towards Pru, silently asking if Tim needs to communicate anything else with their audience.

Tim lifts his hand in a half wave, looking completely exhausted. “Tia?” he asks, sounding lost.

Jason can relate. The adrenaline and rage he’s been running on this entire time have finally burned out, and everything’s starting to hurt a little more and all he wants to do is curl up with their princess.

“Tia,” Jason confirms, then reaches up to tap his earpiece. “Oracle, the rest of Team One and Two are on our way to the extraction point. Tell Team Three it’s boom time.” He throws his arm over Tim’s shoulders, and Tim takes as much of his weight as he can.

Cass comes up on Jason’s other side, and he lets out a breath of relief as she helps take his weight too. 

Catwoman eyes the trio before turning back towards the exit. “Let’s get outta here.” 

She leads the way by virtue of not literally holding up Jason, and they weave their way through the maze of halls to get to the Western balcony. The ground trembles and they hear the rumble of an explosion just as they enter the cold night air.

“We’re here,” she informs Oracle, and a moment later the Batwing drifts down to hover just above the balcony.

Jason can smell the bitter scent of distress from his pup from here, and his instincts have him lurching forward even as Tim drops his arm to dash into the aircraft’s cabin, nearly sending Jason to the ground. 

Cass keeps him from face planting, then he’s hopping towards the open hatch as quickly as he can manage.

“Daddy!” he hears Tia shout from inside, heaving his way into the Batwing just in time to see her burst into tears where she’s sitting in one of the seats, Tim already releasing the oversized seatbelts.

Tim pulls her into his arms, shushing her and rubbing his scent over her in every way he can, and she spots Jason over Tim’s shoulder just before Tim slides down into the tiny space between the captain’s seat and the back seat Duke had stashed Tia in.

“Papa, Papa,  _ Papa! _ ” She starts truly wailing when Jason lumbers up to drape himself over her back, sandwiching her between himself and Tim with Tim squished down on the floor, practically underneath the one chair with his back pressed up against the wall.

He’s vaguely aware that they’re both bleeding on Tia, and that they both definitely need some stitches, but he physically can’t make himself move. He just curls around them while Tim does his level best to replace the smell of fear that’s soaked into their skin.

Time passes. He’s not sure how long it’s been when he feels the Batwing land. Tia’s sound asleep, his knees are numb, and his left leg is in that strange place between no sensation at all and burning up in a lava pit. It’s a grand old time.

“Jason. Tim.” Cass’ soft voice draws him further into awareness. “Come. Need medicine now. Come.”

Jason groans as his shoulder is jostled and shifts minutely to test against the lava, then blinks down at Tim with a grimace. “I don’t think I can move on my own right now,” he says softly, carefully keeping his voice down so he doesn’t wake Tia.

“I push, Cass pulls?” Tim suggests, but that is laughable. Tim is in no position to push anyone, and Jason can see the blood that’s dried down the entirety of his right arm. 

Cass snorts. “No. Duke helps.” And the only reason Jason knows she’s moved away is because her  _ nothing _ is replaced by Duke’s spiced Omega scent. 

“Am I gonna hurt you worse if I pull you up by your armpits?” Duke asks.

He takes a deep breath, noting the sharp pain in his lower ribs, but it’s low enough… “Don’t think so. If I holler, just keep pulling anyway till I’m out. Don’t wanna fall on princess.” Jason’s words are slightly slurred, which is more than a little annoying, and probably pretty concerning.

“If you say so.” Duke sounds rightfully skeptical at those directions, but squeezes his hands down under Jason’s armpits and hauls him up, sitting him on the edge of the seat.

Jason doesn’t make a sound, even though his entire body erupts in agony and he has to breathe shallowly for several moments. He doesn’t even try to move until Tim’s finished massaging the feeling back into his legs, then his mate awkwardly pushes himself to a standing position without waking Tia up, which only happens because she’s so deeply asleep. 

Duke has to half carry Jason out of the Batwing, and Tim follows close behind with Tia in his arms.

His vision is starting to black out from pain by the time they get down to the makeshift field station that Bruce and the others have set up between the two aircraft, and he drops heavily onto the portable gurney, Tim claiming the spot next to him. His skin is crawling just from being separated during the walk.

“Tim first.” Jason tries to insist when Bruce starts pulling out medical supplies. Tim’s sitting angled away from him, but he can see how weak Tim’s right arm is.

“I’ve got Tia. You first, then you get Tia while they patch up me,” Tim rebuts easily.

“Or,” Dick suggests, “Tia can lay down on the other gurney and we can patch you both up at the same time?”

“No.” Tim’s lips curl into a half snarl.

Jason doesn’t even try to form words, and just growls lowly.

“Oh-kay then.” Dick holds his hands up in surrender. “No need to get feisty. Jay, what needs medical attention other than your leg?”

Grimacing, Jason shifts in place again to make sure nothing got worse on the way over. “I’m pretty sure I cracked a rib, and maybe have a concussion. Timmy and I will both need a basic tox screen too, to make sure we didn’t get laced with anything.”

Stephanie ends up being the one to glove up while Dick cuts away the left leg of Jason’s pants. The stab wound is a bit worse than he thought it was, but there’s a decent chance that pulling the knife out and moving around so much have made it worse. 

She flushes the wound while Dick holds a light up, poking around with a pair of hemostats in a way that Jason recognizes as checking for debris, even if it hurts like a bitch. 

“Shit, dude. This is down to the bone. I’m gonna need like, four layers of sutures here,” Stephanie complains.

He just grunts in return.

“Bruce, can you—” She looks up and sees Bruce already working at something on his tablet. Rolling her eyes, she glances around until she spots Duke. “Hey, Duke! Could you open up four of those suturing kits for me? And the local anaesthetic? Dick’s not gloved up, and I need that light to stay  _ right where it is. _ ” She shoots Dick a pointed look when he starts to shift.

“Sure thing, boss. You want barbs or no barbs?”

“Barbs.”

A bolt of alarm shoots through him, and Jason sits up a bit straighter. “What the fu-dge” his eyes dart to the sleeping Tia, “do you mean by  _ barbs? _ ”

“It’s a new suture style, where the suturing thread is dissolvable and barbed, so all you’ve got to do is loop loop loop, wait two weeks, and boom! No knots, and good as new.” 

He still feels hesitant at the idea of barbs anywhere near the wound, but doesn’t protest when she starts wiping down his leg with an iodine solution, or when she repeatedly stabs him with a syringe to numb the area. 

Tim leans lightly into his side, face pressed firmly into Tia’s hair while Jason watches Stephanie stitch the exposed muscle back together. 

Once she’s done with that layer, she pulls out a new suturing kit to start on the fascia. The needles are curved and attached to the suturing thread on either end, so she starts in the middle and stitches up one side, then picks up the other needle and works her way down the other. It’s rather mesmerising, really. 

And the way she locks and unlocks the hemostats so smoothly is impressive. It’s a bit like passing a grain of rice between two sets of chopsticks, except the grain of rice is an incredibly sharp needle, and the chopsticks are a medical tool that looks like a pair of scissors fused with forceps… Actually, that’s a terrible analogy, and maybe Jason really does have a concussion. 

She repeats the process with the layer of fat between the fascia and skin, then closes up the wound entirely by zigzagging the last sutures just beneath the skin. It looks like a really fucked up squiggle line, and he’s a little terrified that the whole damn thing will split open the second he moves.

“All done!” She drops the hemostats to the side and grabs a cloth that’s either soaked in water or antiseptic. He can’t really feel anything in his thigh, so if it is antiseptic he’s thankful he can’t feel it sting.

Stephanie tapes down gauze over the cut and pats his knee. “Okay, let’s check out your ribs, and then I can get to Tim. Dick, do you wanna be on concussion duty?”

Jason does, indeed, have a concussion. But his rib is just cracked, not fully broke, and that counts for a lot. He’s got Tia curled up against his chest while Stephanie stitches up the massive gash across the back of Tim’s shoulder, which was apparently there before he went after Ra’s, and is a little terrifying to think about so Jason’s doing his best not to think about it. Instead, he’s been watching everyone else give their reports to Bruce and preparing his own, especially since it looks like Duke is finishing up right now.

True to form, the Bat marches his gloomy ass up to them as soon as Duke is finished. 

“Would you rather debrief here, or at the Cave?” It’s a surprisingly thoughtful question, for him.

Jason shares a look with Tim, and they seem to be on the same brainwave. “Here’s good.” There is absolutely zero desire to go back to the Cave. Ever.

Bruce waits for him to continue, and when he doesn’t, prompts him with, “Jason?” 

With a heavy sigh, Jason starts describing infiltrating the palace in the driest way possible, doing his best to get it over with all the details Bruce surely wants. “We got in, Duke already told you the details, we got our asses kicked, then the ninja started fighting each other because Talia had planned a coup. I shot Ubu in the head, then Tim tried to fight Ra’s by himself so I went to help and got stabbed, and Talia killed Ra’s before anything else could happen. Shiva was working with Talia, and Tim’s ninja buddy came in clutch.”

Tim sees the questioning look Bruce sends him and leans into Jason’s side with a sigh, nodding in such a way that it spreads his scent over Jason’s shoulder. “Pru. She’s the contact who told me so much about Ra’s’ movements. I wasn’t expecting her to actually help, but I think she’s working with Talia now.”

“You trusted her for intel?” Bruce’s tone is flat, but it’s clear that he’s judging Tim for putting their lives in her hands.

Tim snorts, raising his eyebrows before closing his eyes, clearly exhausted. “She helped me when I was trying to pull you out of the timestream. There’s not a whole lot I wouldn’t trust her with.”

Bruce lets out a “Hn.” that means a whole lot of nothing and has Jason rolling his eyes, but the older Alpha leaves so he can’t complain too much.

Stephanie finishes up with Tim’s arm, then moves on to deal with the remaining injuries—although from the sounds of it they’re all minor in comparison to how banged up he and Tim are.

They’re mostly left alone after that, although Dick hovers just close enough to put Jason on edge. He wants nothing more than to get his family home, they just have to wait a little bit longer.

“Hey, lovebirds!” 

The unwelcome call startles Jason out of his light doze, and he shoots a glare over towards Stephanie.

“We’re all set. Pick a plane and we’ll head back to the Cave.” 

Jason’s brain is still full of mush, but her grin seems particularly plastic in this moment.

“We’re going home.” Tim’s statement cuts her smile off.

“What?” The rest of the immediate family seems to be just as surprised, with the notable exception of Cass.

“We’re going home,” Tim says again. “Tia’s safe, we’re patched up, and I want to go  _ home. _ There’s no reason for us to go back to the Cave.”

“But, Tim…” 

Jason can see the glassiness of tears in her eyes from where he’s sitting, and it has his defensive hackles rising.

Tim continues before he can get riled up enough to say anything, however. “Thank you, for helping me get my daughter back.” He makes sure to catch the eyes of all the Bats. “I told you before, I’m here as a civilian who needed your help as vigilantes, not because we used to be pack. I ask that you respect that, now that this is over.”

The silence is deafening, but Jason can see the approval emanating from Kate and Helena and Selena, and it goes a long way in helping him keep his chin raised in challenge instead of lowered in defense. 

Dick shifting in place is loud with how quiet and still everyone else is standing. “I can fly you back in the Batwing.”

Jason looks down at Tim and shrugs. It’s up to him, although he’ll be hard pressed to keep from ripping out his throat if the asshole pulls any of that guilt tripping shit. 

“Okay,” Tim agrees eventually. “And Cass can come too.” Because she can keep the peace if it comes down to it. Smart Timmy.

Jason gets to sit by and watch everyone else break up the makeshift medical station, which has its pluses and minuses. He gets to cuddle a sleeping Tia, which also makes him an easy focal point for the others to stare at. It also means that he’s too far away when he sees Damian approach Tim, which instantly puts him on high alert. Tim doesn’t seem tense, and it’s over in seconds, but he’s still antsy until Tim gets close enough that he can wave him over.

“Are you okay? What did Damian say?” Tim doesn’t look injured or upset, not that that means a whole lot most days.

“I’m fine.” Tim’s lips tug into a tired smile. “He, uh, well. He apologized.” 

“You’re kidding. Really?” 

“Yeah, he did.” Tim chuckles a bit.

“Pigs are flying today,” he mutters. “What did you say?”

“I just thanked him. Told him I appreciated it. I don’t think I’m really ready to forgive him, but yeah. I’m glad it happened.”

“Same here.” It’s actually kind of incredible. Jason never thought the bat brat would have it in him. “We ready to go?”

“Yeah. Give me Tia, and we can get your busted butt in the Batwing.”

“Oh, shuddup. Your ass is just as busted as mine, mine just happens to hinder walking instead of picking things up.”

“As if. You’re not allowed to pick up anything bigger than Tia until your ribs are healed. And you’re also not allowed to sleep for another twelve hours.”

“Well I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to pick up  _ anything, _ I’m just nice enough to not stop you.” 

Tim manages to balance Tia on his hip with just the one arm, and shoots Jason a playful scowl. The banter is relieving, however, and Jason can’t stop himself from grinning even when his rib twinges as he stands up.

He manages all of one step before Dick catches sight of him trying to walk.

“Oh, hey now! No you don’t!” The other Alpha dodges his way around everyone else to get to Jason’s side. “Steph said you can walk with an aid, not by yourself.”

“I am not using a fucking walker,  _ dick. _ ” He’s actually pretty sure that there isn’t one around, which is possibly the only reason Stephanie didn’t drop one on his lap earlier.

“I’m not saying you have to.” Dick holds his hands up in surrender. “Just… use me as a crutch, okay?”

Jason grumbles, but the numbing agent wore off already and he’s not quite stubborn enough to put himself through that much pain anymore. Maybe three years ago, yeah, but he’s gotten soft and he knows it.

They get up on the Batwing with only a little bit of creative cursing, Jason censoring himself now that Tia is back. They all end up on the floor leaning against the crash netting, because Jason couldn’t figure out a configuration that would allow them to be close enough if they used either of the passenger seats. It ends up working out, because this way he can stretch out his leg too.

“Daddy?” The slurred sleepy voice of Tia instantly draws Jason’s attention down to where she’s blinking up at their surroundings. “Who that?”

They follow her gaze to where Dick is packing away the last of the loose medical supplies before they can take off.

“That’s Mr. Nightwing. He helped us save you.” Tim pulls her in tighter, which lets Jason press in closer to the both of them.

“Oh. Can we go home now, Papa?” Her big green eyes look up at him, and she looks so exhausted. 

“Yeah, we’re going home right now, baby girl.” Jason reaches out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear.

“M’kay,” she mumbles, leaning into the touch. She’s asleep before liftoff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just get a round of applause for Bumpkin here? I _hate_ writing fight scenes, and this thing was a hot freaking mess, but she was a huge help in making it coherent and easy to read! 
> 
> Thank you, lovely!!


	4. Chapter 4: Epilogue

Jason smiles, watching Tim balance on the skateboard with Tia in front of him, holding her hands so she doesn’t fall off. They aren’t going very fast, just big loops around the cul-de-sac, but she’s laughing and giggling in ways that she hasn’t in weeks. 

Tim’s mostly healed at this point, but Jason still has to take it easy, so he’s sitting in a lawn chair in Nancy’s driveway, since hers faces the cul-de-sac and they don’t have to worry about cars as much.

“Here you go, Jason.” Nancy holds out a glass of cider as she claims the seat next to him, Sumithra busy planting her mums down by the mailbox.

“Thanks, Nancy.” He sips at the hot cider, appreciating the addition of orange and cinnamon and whatever else it is she adds to make this stuff so magical. 

They drink in silence for a while, enjoying the crisp fall air and how the entire neighborhood seems to be out and about, waving to the passersby. 

“I’m glad to see that Tim’s reconciled with some of his family. I was always worried that you kids would just be stuck with us.”

Jason’s eyes are drawn to where Cass stands, now holding Tia so that Tim can show off a fancy flip to one of the neighbor boys. “Jun and Tim were never on bad terms, we just got to the point that they can meet up without the rest of the family tracking us down.”

Which is technically wrong. Jason hasn’t missed the bright blue eyes of the one ice cream truck driver. Or how the local UPS delivery woman is sometimes a busty blonde instead of the usual burnette. Or how the guy who picks up the tree clippings and leaf piles seems to be particularly built. The family tracked them down, but they’re being respectful so far, and that means a lot to them both.

“You know, if you ever wanted to talk about it, Sumi and I are more than a little acquainted with the notion of being at odds with family.” 

This is the first time Nancy has ever said anything about the topic, and Jason finds himself looking at her in interest. “Oh?”

She snorts, raising one eyebrow at him. “What, you think an interracial lesbian couple didn’t get any flack in the sixties? Both our families threw fits, but we knew we loved each other, and that was all that mattered. Her family came around eventually, and are actually coming up to spend Diwali with us this year, and we’re going to combine it with Thanksgiving. It’ll be fun. You’re welcome to join us, if you’d like. Don’t gotta be Hindu to appreciate the light triumphing over the dark.”

And god, if that doesn’t make Jason’s throat feel tight. It sounds like a pretty perfect holiday. “I’ll have to talk to Tim, but we don’t have any plans yet.”

“Just let me know when you decide. There’s no pressure either way.” Nancy takes a sip of her cider, smiling down the driveway at her partner. “Have any plans for Halloween yet?” she eventually asks.

“Nah, just trick or treating. I don’t think we’ll give out candy this year. Just gonna follow Tia around, you know?”

Nancy laughs lightly. “I can see the appeal. Has she decided on a costume yet?”

Jason snorts. “Yeah, she wants to be Nightwing.” Which is just fucking hilarious and he and Tim are the only ones who will know why. It’s something Tia’s therapist said to encourage, though, so Nightwing it is.

“That’s one of the Gotham heroes, right?”

“Gotham, Bludhaven, it’s hard to keep track of them all.”

“Oh! He’s the one who spoke to the media during the last crisis, right? The one with the ass?”

Jason damn near spews his cider all over himself. “Nancy!” 

"What?" She looks far less innocent than she sounds. "I may be old enough to be his mom, and gay enough to not like dicks, but that boy has a  _ fine _ ass. I'm allowed to appreciate it!"

He feels scandalized. This is not the kind of conversation he has ever wanted to have with his neighbor. "You can appreciate it all you want. I just don't want to ever hear you say something like that again!"

She scoffs at him, then tries to hide her smirk with a sip of her drink, but he can clearly smell her amusement. 

"You're evil," he playfully complains. 

"No, I'm the nicest old lady ever. I don't ever yell at dogs for peeing on my hydrangeas."

He snorts. "You were yelling at Anthony yesterday because of that." 

She sends him a scowl. "I was yelling at Anthony for leaving his dog crap on my sidewalk. That is a far more serious crime."

“True.” 

They go back to sipping their drinks in silence, watching Tia carry Tim’s skateboard up Kaleigh’s driveway in order to sit on it and roll down the hill. Tim is off to the side, watching her closely while he chats with Cass. All around them, the neighborhood is alive with the shouts of children jumping into leaf piles and grills cooking.

He waves to a passing jogger, her bright red hair pulled back with a headband, and welcomes the idea that this is the new normal. Tim, Tia, and him, all safe at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this brings us to the end of our saga... I hope you all enjoyed this! I'll be marking this series as done now, but it has been a lovely time! Thank you for the absolutely wonderful Kudos and Comments! <3 
> 
> Stay safe everyone

**Author's Note:**

> This is finished! I'll be posting a chapter a day until it's all up!


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